Sunday hunting bills pass Md. House, Senate

ANNAPOLIS — Identical bills to greatly expand Sunday hunting opportunities in western Maryland have passed both houses of the General Assembly.

The House of Delegates advanced the measure before it on Saturday.

House Bill 406 and Senate Bill 472 would make it legal to hunt on Sundays for all game species in season on both public and private land in Allegany, Garrett and Washington counties.

Sunday hunting is generally prohibited across Maryland for most species except deer. Sunday deer hunting is allowed only on private property, and only in some counties, and only on certain Sundays of the deer season.

The Department of Natural Resources predicts that most of the additional hunting would be for deer.

Both houses must pass the same bill before the measure can be signed into law.